Last Chance to Learn The Twist is Graham Parker & The Goltdtops first album for Big Stir Records, the latest in his near 50 year career as a brilliant singer songwriter, band leader, Actor, Author and all round legend. As with Graham's original band The Rumour he is once again supported by a top band of legendary session musicians, including Martin Belmont, Geraint Watkins, Simon Edwards and Jim Russell with backing vocals from The Ladybugs. The album was produced by Parker and Tuck Nelson at Rak Studio 3 in London.
The album opens with The Music Of The Devil a brilliant refutation of the absurd claim that Rock & Roll is the music of the devil, over a cool shuffling beat, this top-notch band bring the juju spirit to inculcate the magical powers of music to redeem, helping the needy to find salvation, of course it's been a lifelong calling for all the members of this ensemble, I love the house of horror style organ fills from Geraint Watkins that underpins a good part of the song.
Grand Scheme Of Things takes a rueful look at where Graham might fit into the wider picture, while giving thanks and praise for how his life has panned out, the fact he's still able to write and produce music as wonderful as this while coaxing magic from the fingers of Martin and Geraint once more, while the Ladybugs sound like they just stepped away from the choir for a few minutes to adorn this.
Sun Valley is a sun dripped soul stirrer celebrating life in Sun Valley with a lush horn section that makes you want to visit Sun Valley.
It Mattered To Me when I reviewed Geraint Watkins Rush of Blood album a few years ago, to apologize to him for once being young and snotty enough, to walk out in the middle of the Balham Alligators set, as I had seen the band I was at the show for Michelle Shocked and didn't get what the Alligators were doing going on after her. So this song full of apologies allows me to hear Graham's list of things that mattered to him to know it matters to me to say sorry to Geraint again. I love this tune.
Wicked Wit has some wry observations of how he's used his Wicked Wit over the years, with the horns coming in perfectly accentuating the vocal lines this is sophisticated soulful blues.
Pablo's Hippos will take a few listens to get everything the song is about, the many levels of meaning other than the surface tale as they take us to the swampy backwaters with the edge of a carnival barker drawing you into the tent to see Pablo's Hippos.
Cannabis is a slow blues for all the insanity of prohibition and the wonderful benefits, that are almost as delightful as the carefully strummed guitar and brushed percussion shuffles.
Shorthand has Graham claiming he's learning Shorthand as he writes too much, slow mature folk blues reminisces of a dying artform, as I'm sure most under 30's would have no idea what Shorthand is, I wish I'd learnt it when I had the chance in the late 70's.
We Did Nothing asks that tough question of why we as a race are so useless at stopping the carnage of War, the devastation of the planet through pollution and many other sins of omission, as for all we ignored through the pandemic, as the bongos and other percussion give this a folk club feel to it, as we should all admonish ourselves for our lack of action.
Lost Track Of Time is a rumination of how as you get older five or ten years feels like a few days ago, as he seems to be channeling Otis Redding in places.
Last Stretch Of The Road is accompanied by a harmonica to help ease you on down that road once more, as he repents for some of his own crimes including wearing sandals with socks and not saying everything to a loved one who died too soon.
Them Bugs re-works a classic reggae tune into a one away special, as his fourth of July party gets invaded by hordes of bugs ready to bite him and his friends to pieces, with some freaky organ and a rocksteady rhythm.
The album closes with Since You Left Me Baby a fond farewell for a partner he can never replace and doesn't want to either, as the band has a bit of a New Orleans front line feel to the soul boogie, they are brewing up one last brilliant musical storm, at the end of a truly great mature blues rock album.
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